My Facebook is flooded with messages regarding the horrible events surrounding the children today. Which is fine. It is a terrible thing. I like that people are thinking of the kids and their families.

What I can't stand is preachy-ness. Lately, I've found myself fighting against people who are posting religious stuff on their walls. In a perfect world, people wouldn't get mad and attack, I mean, Facebook is free range - if you're going to share something, expect SOME opinion. I try to unsubscribe to these people since that's an option. There's so many of them. All religious. All Catholics.

Anyway, I'm trying to keep my fingers shut, but one lady I had graduated College with posted this:

Of course, it gets like a billion "likes", which isn't a big deal, but another person posted it on my news feed, and I hastily typed:

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I just don't understand these sort of messages. Kids have perished, yet we're using this an opportunity to spread religion? I understand that you are religious, and I respect this, but it seems like you believe the lack of God was what created this tragedy...there are numerous issue involved. There was mental health issues. Society's. I understand prayer comforted you, and that's good. Pray, do what comforts you. But since people have different religions and different beliefs, perhaps we shouldn't be using this as a time to preach. I comprehend my opinion will not be popular with those who are religious, but something has to be said when these messages come along bringing more politics and religion...whoever made this message has an agenda, and I find that wrong - those kids need to be remembered, not dragged and used for this agenda. (Ie; God's not in the schools so obviously it was bad or had something to do with the shootings)

But I didn't say it to her. I knew I was going to get into a war and it'd reflect negatively on me. Basically, I feel like religious people get free rein during this awful time. I knew I would start another issue, with people biting back at me including her unstable self.

I see this message differently than her. To me, the message implies a lack of God created this problem. It didn't. It deters from the real problems: the mental health issues, the gun laws, ect. It also implies that schools freely rid of religion, which really isn't the case. High schools and University's/Colleges have religious prayer groups and allow it. They merely don't permit prayers to be said in the morning. (And it's fair, if you attend a Public school, and didn't have a Faith, or followed a different one, why would you want to participate in a prayer?)

The person who had originally made this has an agenda. I'm basically unsubscribing from all of these people because religion's hold on society drives me insane. I don't care if someone chooses to believe in a supernatural force. That's their choice and if it comforts them, all the better. I DO care when it deters from the real issues which need to be addressed. I don't think it makes sense, but I can't really fight it without people judging me on it. A lack of God didn't create the problem. A lack of prayer may comfort children, but it's lack of at the time wasn't what caused the problem. God isn't technically not permitted in schools - it's the religion which isolates people. And there's something VERY wrong about using recently perished children to spread your religion.

Facebook really gets you to despise people you had no issues with because they insist on posting what goes on in their heads - and it's terrible.

Anyway, seeing as my society/friends/family are dominated by religious people, I seldom have anywhere to vent or rant. I just wish people would leave religion where it belongs: in their homes, in their Church, and NOT assume everyone HAS or WANTS to follow it.

(And hi, I'm sorry. I'm an old member from this board but I don't come on often. xD Except, apparently, to vent to a community of like-minded individuals.) T

Not to mention its making a false claim (you touched on it). God, and prayer are COMPLETELY ALLOWED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Theists argue otherwise because it lets them play the role of the victim. The only difference is that the prayer cannot be lead by a school employee, and it cannot be mandatory or otherwise coercive. -Thats it.

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"If we look back into history for the character of the present sects in Christianity, we shall find few that have not in their turns been persecutors, and complainers of persecution."

So God allows school massacres to occur because he must submit to the all-binding authority of a non-existent school policy? The religious capacity to rationalize away his complete inaction in regards to anything is just incredible. My personal favorite excuse is the "natural causes did it, not God" because, apparently, God can only watch on in sheer helplessness as this mysterious phantasm of "natural causes" swoops in out of nowhere and kills people. You can bet that whatever the tragedy, whether it be mass murder, war, or a hurricane, there will be many Christians eager to point out that God did absolutely nothing.

Amen to that, ParkingPlaces - I stopped paying attention to Facebook as soon as I realized that it was essentially just used to peddle polarizing political and religious memes with about as much rigor as bumper stickers and rave about how you just had a sandwich.

Well, they're going by the fact that Public schools here (in Ontario) no longer pray in the morning and the Bible is no longer given to it's students. (On another note, Catholic schools here are publicly funded by the tax payers).

My Mom just posted it. It seems the most people posting it happen to be women in their late 40's.

It just seems like such an agenda. I'm not going to whine if you ask people to pray on your Facebook, but don't use these child's death for your cause. And therein lies the problem: they believer EVERYONE should believe in God in order to operate properly. The concept of non believers or even different believers doesn't occur to them. God isn't allowed in schools, this creates some sort of problem. (Even if people believe in different God's).

facebook wasn't designed to promote religion.neither was the internet.these stupid asses get in and claim they own it.not going to "whine"? you might as well start picking which priest/pastor/shaman will read your eulogy.

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Fuck the Bible, you can't even eat in it.

First I told my imaginary friend about Jesus, then I told Jesus about my imaginary friend.

facebook wasn't designed to promote religion.neither was the internet.these stupid asses get in and claim they own it.not going to "whine"? you might as well start picking which priest/pastor/shaman will read your eulogy.

Thats right! Get back to porn like god intended!

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"If we look back into history for the character of the present sects in Christianity, we shall find few that have not in their turns been persecutors, and complainers of persecution."

Howard Tayler, creator of the webcomic Schlock Mercenary, posted this last night:

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I am awash with emotion, raw inside. I mourn with those who mourn, and I would comfort those who stand in need thereof, but in truth I am helpless to do anything but stand and watch in anguish and horror.

There is no shortage of voices clamoring for attention right now. Mine is not one of them. Nothing I say here can change the news, or soften the commentary, or shut the punditry up so we can take time to cry in silence.

... My job is to distract, divert, and entertain, and perhaps uplift in the process. I hope that those of you who need that will take the time to give raw nerves a rest. If the story here is too tense for you right now, come back on Christmas Eve when things start winding down.

Let me share one piece of wisdom, passed on to me by Sarah Eden, whose nine-year-old said these words to her today: "When your heart breaks, you choose what to fill the cracks with. Love or hate. But hate won't ever heal. Only love can do that."

Admirable as those sentiments are, right now I have nothing but disgust and contempt for the preachers and other pundits who are battening on this tragedy. The resulting shitstorm in the media must be endured, leavened by a few sane voices trying to be heard over the repeated slamming of barn doors.

It should be remembered that the sincerely religious have been conditioned for much (if not all) their lives to respond to tragedy in certain ways. They honestly don't see preaching as intrusive or inappropriate in this situation; quite the reverse. Those of them with a little more awareness realize that events like this call the existence of their chosen deity into question, which spurs them to greater efforts to distract from that line of thought.

And of course when we atheists try to educate them on this and their largely unspoken position of privilege in society, we become (even more) the enemy. The religious are and will blame secularism and atheism for this kind of event; we can only continue to show them how they're wrong and not resort to their level of mudslinging.

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Live a good life... If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones. I am not afraid.--Marcus Aurelius

their level of mudslinging?I could say every hateful thing under the sun and it wouldn't begin to compare to the shit they are promoting.give me a break... the ultimate insult is that we are powerless to do the right things in life because god is the ultimate good and we by our very nature are not god...

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Fuck the Bible, you can't even eat in it.

First I told my imaginary friend about Jesus, then I told Jesus about my imaginary friend.

People think I am an asshole. If they only looked at the utter bullshit you espouse they'd see how untrue such a thing is. (well, maybe those at ATT see it)

I mean, I defend some religious people, and your reply to that is me being an authority figure of all religious people, and in your mind I have to defend my opinion, because you say so.

Fuck you.

I may treat everyone with the same respect, in the way that I will argue with anyone about anything (religious or not) but you go that extra step and just assume everything's a negative, no matter what, 'cause it conflicts with your point-of-view of things.

That makes you a worse asshole than me 'cause I don't do shit like that.

People think I am an asshole. If they only looked at the utter bullshit you espouse they'd see how untrue such a thing is. (well, maybe those at ATT see it)

I mean, I defend some religious people, and your reply to that is me being an authority figure of all religious people, and in your mind I have to defend my opinion, because you say so.

Fuck you.

I may treat everyone with the same respect, in the way that I will argue with anyone about anything (religious or not) but you go that extra step and just assume everything's a negative, no matter what, 'cause it conflicts with your point-of-view of things.

That makes you a worse asshole than me 'cause I don't do shit like that.

-Nam

I asked a question, did you forget what it was?you want me to escalate some more?

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Fuck the Bible, you can't even eat in it.

First I told my imaginary friend about Jesus, then I told Jesus about my imaginary friend.

Each time this happens my FB timeline is inundated with "God Loves the Children", "say a prayer for <insert town in country with no gun control here>". I always post back on them

"Which of the thousands of Gods are we praying to? Now would this be the powerless impotent God that let it happen or is it the pure evil God that decreed that this will happen as everything happens to Gods design ?"

Always brings the most venomous hate filled tirades my way.

I have a six year old daughter and can only imagine in my worst nightmares what the parents of those children are going through. My thoughts are with them

How can a God who does not exist be impotent or cruel. Why is it neccessary to attack the character of someone who you don't believe in? It makes me wonder if there is not a tiny bit of doubt left and some very justified pain when tragedies occur. Because to disprove a concept all you need to offer is facts. You don't tell Tommy that Santa is an asshole because he failed to bring him a truck - you just point out that he is a fictional character. I realize God is way more deeply ingrained than that. I am sort of an odd believer myself. And I can get mad at him because I believe in him. And no, I can't begin to understand or explain these or any other terrible events.

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It doesn't make sense to let go of something you've had for so long. But it also doesn't make sense to hold on when there's actually nothing there.

Children are blameless before The LORD YHWH. All the little kids that have died since the foundation of the world went directly to Heaven. Babies & children(until a certain age) are "without sin". They thus do not have the penalty of death attached to them. They have not broken(were unable to) any of the commandments, therefore do not have to taste death.

I will introduce myself as soon as the mods let me create my own thread. I think every new person has to post at least 3 satisfactory posts beforehand...Blessings

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Presuppositionalism wins everytime

Nietzsche : "Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."

Children are blameless before The LORD YHWH. All the little kids that have died since the foundation of the world went directly to Heaven. Babies & children(until a certain age) are "without sin". They thus do not have the penalty of death attached to them. They have not broken(were unable to) any of the commandments, therefore do not have to taste death.

I will introduce myself as soon as the mods let me create my own thread. I think every new person has to post at least 3 satisfactory posts beforehand...Blessings

Hi SHIN KAIRI...your god is wonderful... to you.thanks for sharing.may I ask where does your god come from?

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Fuck the Bible, you can't even eat in it.

First I told my imaginary friend about Jesus, then I told Jesus about my imaginary friend.

and b) Should you choose to be annoying here like you are at ATT, you will probably be treated differently. You know, things like ugly annoying blue crawling text, lots of orange text, etc. So please do your best to be civilized.